Moderate turnout in 5th round of UP poll

TNN|

Apr 29, 2007, 12.58 AM IST

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NEW DELHI: An estimated 46 per cent of about 1.59 crore voters had exercised their franchise on Saturday for the fifth phase of elections to 57 Assembly constituencies spread over nine districts of Uttar Pradesh.

Amid tight security polling was going on peacefully and there was no report of any untoward incident till evening, according to reports from various parts of the state.

While BJP President Rajnath Singh and BSP chief Mayawati exercised their franchise in the state Capital, senior BJP leader and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee failed to do so. Though Mr Vajpayee was expected to reach Lucknow for exercising his franchise, he chose to stay put in New Delhi and reports said he had to "cancel his trip due to ill health".

Officials said about 15,692 polling stations and 9,170 polling centres have been set up for the polls. As many as 65,700 personnel of Central Paramilitary Forces had been deployed on poll duty to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections.

Meanwhile, both BJP and BSP claim to get majority in UP. Even though a hung Assembly is widely predicted, the BJP and BSP leaders claimed that their respective parties will manage absolute majority. "The BSP will win this election. We will get absolute majority. We will not require anybody's help," BSP chief Mayawati told reporters after casting her vote.

On his part Mr Rajnath Singh said BJP "would get an absolute majority in the Assembly polls as there was an undercurrent in favour of the party". Exit polls conducted by television news channels have projected BSP emerging the single largest party in the state elections, followed by the SP.